Paddling in a Halcyon Sea
by Belmanoir
Summary: Sequel to 'In the Long Ago' and 'Strong as Death'. Once 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' is repealed, Evan and Colby decide to get married. They envisage a quiet ceremony, with just a few close friends and family. Given their friends and family, they probably should have known better. Lorne/Colby and John/Rodney slash.
1. Chapter 1

This is a sequel to my stories _In the Long Ago _and _Strong as Death, _set a few years on_. _It has a very different atmosphere from those two. It was intended to be their reward for everything they'd suffered in the previous stories, but, as has been pointed out to me, I'm not sure either Colby or Lorne would regard some of what happens as any sort of a reward!

* * *

**Paddling in a Halcyon Sea**

"What's this?" John took the heavy cream envelope from Lorne as if it might bite him. It turned out he was right to be suspicious as, when he opened it, he found it held a piece of equally heavy cream card inviting him and a guest to the wedding of one Evan Lorne and one Colby Granger.

"Major?" He didn't add _what's the meaning of this _because his tone of voice said it all.

"It's traditional for you to be there as my CO," the traitorous bastard replied with a smirk.

"Oh it is, is it?"

"In fact, sir," Lorne continued, "if my dad weren't available, it would be traditional for you to give me away."

John was not falling for that. Except for the fact that Lorne did seem to know both the written and unwritten regs inside out and backwards.

"But your dad's going to be there, right?"

"So far as I know, Colonel."

"Good. That's – good," John said, and watched Lorne leave the room, wondering just how his XO managed to give the impression even from behind that he was enjoying this whole situation way too much.

John glanced back down at the invitation he was still holding. He didn't know when he'd gone from flat-out panic at the thought of turning up to anything resembling a wedding to being almost resigned to attending and simply relieved this one wasn't going to be as bad as it could have been.

* * *

"Donnie, you're sure you've got our present?"

"Yes, Dad," Don replied for the ninth time as he expertly threaded them through the traffic on the freeway. Forgetting to take Aunt Irene's present to her seventieth birthday party had really kind of traumatised his dad.

"What, pray tell, do you get an FBI Agent and an Air Force Major for their wedding present?" Larry asked from the back seat of Don's SUV. "Megan refuses to share with me just what our gift will be, but I was somewhat exercised as to what might be welcome."

"A dinner service and pot-holders," Don replied, sounding less than enchanted.

"You can never have too many pot-holders," his dad replied. "If you cooked, you'd know that. And could you please keep an eye on the speed limit?"

"I don't think Colby cooks," Don said rebelliously.

"But Evan might. One of them has to."

Don shrugged. "There's always takeout."

"Donnie, this is marriage – this is the rest of their lives. They're not going to be eating takeout when they're in their fifties."

Don, having just had a rather significant birthday, decided to shut up and concentrate on getting them to the small, independently-owned hotel that apparently Evan's sister had picked out for this whole shebang.

"Speed limit, Don," his dad said again.

Don sighed. Even if they did have to go and get married, at least Colby and Evan wouldn't be producing kids they could torture for the rest of their lives.

* * *

"You think Lorne'll have good eats?"

"I am sure Major Lorne will have taken into consideration all of his guests' requirements," Teyla replied, watching Torren happily playing with the puzzle John had given him, as they waited in the hotel lobby for the rest of the Atlantis party to show.

Ronon felt better at that response. It wasn't that he didn't want to stand up with Lorne, it was just that sometimes the whole Earth thing still left him feeling exposed, with everyone assuming reference points that he and Teyla lacked. At least the prospect of good food helped.

* * *

Laura rapped on the door to apartment 21B. It was opened immediately by a sharp-eyed lady in her eighties who was dressed in a dove grey suit and a pink blouse, with pearls at her neck, and a very fetching hat finishing off the ensemble.

"Mrs Clark, I'm Captain Laura Cadman," Laura said with a smile. "I'm your ride to Major Lorne's wedding."

"You're late," Mrs Clark informed her. "Colby said you'd be here at one o'clock sharp."

"Sorry," Laura said, determinedly maintaining her smile. "Traffic was bad." She left out the part where she really wasn't used to driving in traffic any more, and also the part about her sudden plans to disembowel Evan's new husband for inviting this harridan.

"It can't be helped, I suppose," Mrs Clark said as she locked her apartment door behind her. "Just make sure we're in good time for the ceremony."

"Yes, ma'am," Laura replied. Oh, this was going to be _so_ much fun.

* * *

"Evan's Air Force, right?" Nikki asked Liz who was currently navigating past a fender-bender that had held up traffic enough that it threatened to make them late.

"Uh-huh," Liz agreed absently.

"Reckon there'll be any cute Air Force officers there?"

Liz sounded her horn at the asshole in the pick-up truck in front of them.

"Guess so," she said, returning the asshole's gesticulations with interest.

"Okay then," Nikki said, smoothing her rather gorgeous green silk dress down her thighs as far as it would go, which wasn't actually all that far, being as short as it was. "They can't all be gay, can they?"

"Charlie would have to give you the odds on that," Liz said. "I'm guessing probably not."

"Cool," Nikki said. "We nearly there yet?"

* * *

"I cannot believe you've dragged me here for this. Do you have any idea of the work I could be doing – "

_"_Rodney_." _

John was a little unnerved by the way silence fell after he'd said Rodney's name only once. He would have to remember to wear his dress blues more often because Rodney had been so much less trouble ever since he'd gotten dressed in them in their hotel room an hour before. They weren't staying at the hotel the wedding was being held at; John had felt that doing that would be a bit claustrophobic, so they'd booked one about a half mile away.

"Well I _could_," Rodney said, in a last sort of defiant gasp than reminded John of a firework that had almost, but not quite, extinguished.

"If I have to go through this, you do too," John said.

"But he's one of _your_Marines," Rodney sputtered back into indignant life.

"Air Force," John said wearily. "And this wasn't my idea."

And just maybe the whole wedding-phobia thing showed in his face for an instant because firework Rodney stopped sputtering and instead smoothed the uniform over John's tense shoulders, pausing to admire the result in the full-length mirror on the wardrobe door.

"Let's do this," John said after a minute, feeling about as enthusiastic as he did when faced with SGC's latest bureaucratic missive.

* * *

"So you serve with Evan?" Mrs Clark ascertained as Laura navigated the freeway.

"Yes."

"That's good," Mrs Clark said surprisingly. "Back in my day we had to take auxiliary roles."

Laura glanced in her mirror then overtook the stupid SUV going at precisely 55 mph that had some old guy in the front passenger seat gesticulating at the dark-haired driver to slow down.

"You served?" Laura asked, and was treated to a harrumphing noise from the elderly lady sitting beside her.

"Everyone did back then," she said. "We all had different ways, some in uniform and some not. I was a WASP."

Laura blinked. Holy shit. But before she could get a word in edgeways Mrs Clark was continuing, "That's how I met my husband, you know. He was a pilot too."

"Hence the connection with Major Lorne?" Laura surmised.

"Good heavens, no. The first time I met that young man he was taking out Colby's trash. Good thing too. I seem to remember it smelled terrible." Mrs Clark paused for a moment. "He had nice arms, though," she mused, and Laura nearly drove off the road.


	2. Chapter 2

John paused outside the entrance to the wedding hotel, causing Rodney almost to walk into him.

"You know, Lorne keeps talking about tradition, but he's kidding, right? There's no way I'd have to dance with the bride, is there?"

"Why the hell would you have to do that?" Rodney asked.

"Tradition. Lorne keeps talking about it." John was looking slightly wild about the eyes.

"And you _believe_him?"

"Excuse me?"

Rodney sighed. At this rate they'd never get to the wedding and he'd end up having a hypoglycaemic episode if he didn't get to the wedding breakfast on time. He gave an encouraging shove to the small of John's back.

"Lorne," he said irritably. "You believe him?"

"You mean to tell me…"

Rodney wasn't sure whether to be alarmed or really rather turned on by the intensity of the gaze John turned on him.

"I think! I mean, I don't know! Don't take my word for it! What do I know anyway about the mating and courtship rituals of Marines? Oh, crap."

The last was muttered as John's figure, looking really rather spectacular in dress blues, disappeared across the hotel lobby, presumably in search of Major Lorne.

* * *

It had taken some coordination but Megan and David had managed to get seats together on the flight from DC. Despite living in the same city, it had been quite some time since they'd seen one another and most of the flight was spent catching up, and then on wagering just how hard Colby was going to end up blushing. David put twenty on fire-truck red as he said his vows; Megan went for a more subtle pink that lasted at least a half hour after he'd said them.

Though she was a frequent visitor to LA with Larry still there, she hadn't really kept up with the team since leaving. There just didn't seem to be time in the day for everything as it was, and holding onto old friendships took time and effort.

She was looking forward to seeing them all again, she thought, as she and David got into a cab outside LAX. Don, who'd been her mentor back before things had gone so wrong for her with the Bureau, and Colby, who'd been like that annoying but simultaneously supportive and vulnerable little brother. A little brother who'd surprised her by overturning all the stereotypes and not only coming out as gay but going the whole hog and getting married. She hadn't seen it coming, though she'd realised when she'd opened the invitation that perhaps she should have done; Colby was a bit of a traditionalist after all, and she wouldn't be surprised if those terrible few days when they'd all thought Evan was dead had played some part in this decision of theirs to make things official now they finally could.

She grinned at David, suddenly happy to be back here, and looking forward to a long overdue reunion with her old team.

* * *

John was on his somewhat annoyed way across the lobby when he was ambushed by two extremely short people.

"Excuse me, sir, are you Colonel Sheppard?" He looked down to find an excited-looking face turned up toward his.

"Well, that kinda depends on who wants to know," he said.

"It is!" The owner of the little face executed a death grip on John's right pant leg while turning to the slightly taller short person. "It's Uncle Evan's Colonel Sheppard!"

"Cool!" the taller one responded excitedly.

"Which is better, the Raptor or the Tomcat?" The first little face asked him, screwed up in earnestness.

"And is the Spitfire or the Hurricane better? I mean, the Hurricane was the more stable gun platform, but the Spitfire was the _Spitfire_," the taller one said in tones of utter reverence.

Luckily, before he had time to even begin to answer, a woman with a vaguely familiar-looking face swept into view and gathered both short people against her.

"I'm so sorry," she said. "I'm Nicola, Evan's sister, and these are his nephews. They were so excited to meet you they forgot their manners, didn't you, boys?"

"We said 'excuse me'," the littlest little face said with a pout that was horribly familiar to John. He saw it whenever he failed to complete his paperwork satisfactorily.

"They were fine," he said quickly. "Just asking some questions about aircraft that Uncle Evan will need to help out on answering." Take that, Uncle freaking Evan. Fair was fair. And John wasn't in the least bit petty. Not ever.

By the time he'd introduced himself properly to Nicola, who possessed the same sort of dimples, smile, and eyebrows as her brother, met her husband, and introduced Rodney who'd joined them and was viewing the short people with palpable mistrust, John had almost forgotten about his plans for revenge on his XO. Almost.

* * *

Laura called when she was five minutes out from the hotel, as arranged, with the result that Colby was waiting by the entrance when she drew up to let Mrs Clark out. At least she assumed the guy in the suit, a white rosebud in his buttonhole and looking like he was afraid to move for fear of getting a hair out of place, was Colby. That was confirmed when he waved the doorman off and came to help Mrs Clark out himself, giving Laura a quick word of thanks before taking Mrs Clark inside on his arm.

Having had a good look at this Colby guy, she guessed Evan hadn't done too badly for himself, though she wasn't sure how Colby was coping with the whole wedding thing - she'd seen scientists look less nervous when confronted by Wraith. She hoped he wasn't going to do a runner, because she'd hate to get blood on her dress uniform.

* * *

Colby took Mrs Clark out into the hotel grounds, where there was a small private garden they were using for the ceremony. He and Evan had managed to stop Nicola getting carried away with stuff like ribbon and doves – he was _almost_sure that last suggestion hadn't been serious – and Evan's dad had gotten round the issue of flowers by pointing out that the roses in the garden would be in bloom. So it was all pretty much as low key as they'd wanted it, with just a few chairs set out in rows for their close friends and family, and an aisle left down the centre.

There were already a bunch of people there, some of whom Colby recognised and some he didn't. And Evan was there. Evan, who he hadn't been allowed to see all morning because Nicola was bossy as hell and kept muttering darkly about _tradition._As soon as Evan saw Colby and Mrs Clark he excused himself from where he was talking to Colby's sister and her husband and came across the lawn to greet Mrs Clark, though he grinned at Colby the whole way over and gave him a swift kiss on the lips before he turned to Mrs Clark.

"You _do_ look handsome, dear," she said. And dear _God, _she had a gift for understatement. It was the first time Colby had seen Evan in his dress blues and he was lost for words.

"Close your mouth, Granger. You're drooling," a familiar voice said from beside him, and he tore his eyes from Evan just long enough to find Megan standing there.

"Hey," he said, glad to see her again, and handed off Mrs Clark to Evan so he could give Megan a hug, and incidentally move her so that he could do that and still drink in the amazing sight that was Evan Lorne in dress blues.

Megan thumped him in the end, and he realised he was still absently hugging her while looking at Evan. "You're not allowed to jump your fiancé till after the wedding," she said. "That's what the honeymoon's for."

He might have pouted had David not chosen that minute to come and give him a one-armed hug, and he wasn't going to pout in front of David because that just wouldn't be manly.

And then Don and Alan and Larry were there, Alan fussing about where to put their present, and Larry with eyes only for Megan, and Don looking about as relaxed as he did when on a particularly gruelling case. Colby, having once had the experience of driving Alan somewhere, wasn't surprised. He made a mental note to seat Alan next to Roger Bloom during the ceremony to give Don a break. If it meant their wedding descended into fisticuffs, well, Evan was supposed to love him and so would probably forgive him. Eventually.

"Hey," Evan was saying to him, "I'd like to introduce you to my CO."

They taught manners at the Air Force Academy apparently. Who knew? It made sense actually, because it wasn't as if they taught the airheads anything else. But Colby zipped his mouth because he knew this meeting was important to Evan.

Evan took both him and Mrs Clark over and introduced them, and, as befitted another graduate of the Academy of good manners and fresh air, John Sheppard greeted Mrs Clark first.

Her quick eyes took him in with one searching gaze, and then Colby could see it happen, see when her eyes returned with a sort of horrified fascination to the hair that – well, it wasn't exactly regulation, was the best he could find to say about it.

"Are you a _serving_officer?" Mrs Clark demanded.

"Yes, ma'am," came back the answer.

"Well," she said. And then after a long pause, "Well."

He thought for Evan's sake he'd better cover the awkwardness and with the usual how do you do's and handshakes everything seemed smoothed over, unlike the Colonel's hair, except that Sheppard was still obviously aware and – thankfully – seemingly amused.

"Colby," Mrs Clark said, "I need you to see me to my seat."

He escorted her to the chair in the front row that they'd reserved for her. Once ensconced, she gestured to him to lean in and asked in not _too_ loud a voice just what in heaven's name had _happened_ to the Air Force since her late husband had shuffled off this mortal coil. "I know things have never been the same since that ridiculous decision to create it as a separate service, but still," she said in tones of outrage. "I've never seen anything like it. And he's a _colonel_."

"Yes ma'am," Colby said, and, with a heroic effort that Evan better damn well appreciate, declined to join in with her entirely natural condemnation of the Air Force. "But Evan says he's an excellent CO and all the Marines respect the hel- I mean, they respect him enormously."

"If you say so," she said dubiously, but at least she sounded a little more conciliatory toward Colonel Sheppard. She patted Colby's cheek and her voice returned to its usual volume as she said "Now go marry your young man. The two of you have waited quite long enough."

Colby could feel himself turning bright red. From the seat behind Mrs Clark came a hastily muffled _"Yes!"_from David.

"Not got to the vows yet," Megan said cryptically next to him.

Colby shook his head. Some days he wondered just why all his colleagues, past _and_ present, were so weird.

* * *

Despite the traffic hold-up, Liz and Nikki got to the hotel with twenty minutes to spare, time enough for a quick dash to the bathroom for titivating purposes and still get out into the garden and not be quite the last to arrive.

"Wow, Granger's actually scrubbed up okay," Liz said, seeing him escorting a uniformed young woman to a seat.

"Apparently Evan's sister took him suit-shopping on Evan's orders," Don said, wandering up to them. "I have it on good authority that it scarred him for life. You've both scrubbed up pretty good too."

"Gee, thanks for the ringing endorsement, boss," Nikki said, and then her eyes grew wide and her hand closed convulsively on Liz's arm. "Who the hell is _that_?"

While Liz tried unsuccessfully to unclamp Nikki's fingers, Don grinned. "That," he said, "is Evan's CO, Colonel John Sheppard. Probably best not to hit on the groom's CO till everyone's too drunk to remember, Betancourt."

"Uh-huh," Nikki agreed, not sounding like she was taking in a single word.

Liz sighed. Things that made Nikki such a force to be reckoned with in the field – swift target acquisition, lack of inhibition, and sheer force of will – never seemed to translate quite so well to social settings. Resigning herself to the barnacle now attached to her, they wandered over with Don to the seats, giving a little wave to Colby as he saw them approach.

"Hey, Evan's looking kind of hot today too," Nikki said.

"How the hell did you get anything done in LAPD if you have a uniform fetish?" Don wanted to know.

"Ew. And I cannot believe I just said 'Ew'," Nikki grimaced. "I don't have a uniform fetish, boss; I just have eyes."

"Ain't that the truth," Liz agreed.


	3. Chapter 3

"Crap!"

John sat up straight at the shock in Rodney's voice. He was expecting to see the place being raided by Genii at the very least until Rodney continued indignantly, "It's Eppes. What the hell is he doing here?"

John looked in the direction a furious looking Rodney was glaring and saw an average-looking youngish guy, with a mop of dark curly hair, and a pretty dark-haired woman taking their seats just across the aisle from John and Rodney.

The guy looked across and caught John's stare, so they smiled and nodded at one another in the awkward way one did in those sorts of circumstances. And then the average-looking guy saw Rodney and went in an instant from politely inoffensive to positively hostile. "McKay," he said. Well, hissed really.

"Eppes," Rodney shot back. "What the hell are _you_doing here?"

"What the hell are _you_doing here?"

Rodney was just drawing breath when a pleasant low-pitched female voice interrupted him.

"Good afternoon, everyone."

John looked up to see that the officiant was standing at the front of the rows of chairs and that Lorne and Granger were taking their places in front of her. Without a single _hint_ of anybody being walked down the aisle, whether by their dad or their CO. That _bastard_ would be doing John's paperwork for the rest of the millennium. Except, John realised, Lorne would be doing that in any case. Another punishment would be needed. He flirted with the idea of assigning Lorne to accompanying McKay on every mission from now on, but then he thought about Rodney's propensity to stumble into trouble and disaster and figured he probably should stay on hand himself ready to pull him out. Never mind, John would think of _something_. He had a week before Lorne was due back on Atlantis after his honeymoon.

In the meantime, his XO was looking a bit too sappy for John's liking as he gazed at Granger, who seemed to have turned a rather interesting shade of pink at being the centre of everyone's attention. Thankfully the general air of sentimentality was nicely offset by the glower emanating from Rodney, which was beaming past John and into the side of the head of this Eppes guy.

The officiant embarked on a seemingly interminable monologue and Rodney took the opportunity to hiss across John, "Your Penfield Variation doesn't solve the flaw, you realise."

The speed with which Eppes's head shot round belied the impression he'd given of listening intently to the speech. "How would you know? Your math error negated the entire –"

"Error?" Rodney was turning an alarming shade of purple. "_Error?_I'll have you know -"

"Rodney." John wrapped his hand round Rodney's bicep and shook him. Even that didn't stop the torrent of abuse.

"If your intellect was even a tenth the size of your ego and your _hair, _you'd –"

_"McKay," _John ground out, aware that everybody was turning to look.

"_What?_" Rodney snapped at him. "Did you _hear_-" His indignant outrage slowly faded, at least in volume, as he became aware that he and his apparent deadly enemy were not only the centre of attention but also holding up the wedding. "Oh. Right." And he subsided into almost inaudible grumbles while Eppes looked infuriated and the woman next to him buried her face in her hands.

"If you've quite finished, Doc."

"Yes, yes, carry on, Major," Rodney said with a wave of his hand. "Pointing out the elementary error in the Penfield Variation, which itself demonstrates the fundamental flaw in the Eppes Convergence theory, can always wait for the next issue of the _American Journal of Mathematics_. Or the wedding breakfast."

"Thanks," Lorne said. "We appreciate that," and turned back to Granger.

After that, the whole thing turned into a bit of a blur of Rodney grumbling and mumbling like a volcano prepping for a particularly cataclysmic eruption, and Lorne and Granger both sounding clear and certain in their responses to the officiant, and the lady in the hat who John had met earlier dabbing at her eyes, which seemed to set off Lorne's mom and sister, and then some other lady who looked enough like Granger for John to be sure she was family. And this was part of why he hated the whole wedding thing, with emotions running rampant and then everybody starting to make light-hearted hints about who would be next. Well, that and the whole crucifixion of a marriage followed by the divorce from hell that tended to follow weddings, in John's experience. Though as he saw Lorne and Granger share a kiss before heading down the makeshift aisle – and really, hand in hand was a bit over the top even for a wedding, wasn't it? – while the two women who'd arrived together threw confetti with grins on their faces at Lorne's and Granger's identical reactions of being pleased while pretending not to be, he thought that some marriages might work. Maybe.

Then people were moving and Rodney was scrambling past him and poking his finger toward Eppes's chest as he made several very assertive points. John had to move fast and make noises about food to distract him, while a guy with dark hair moved almost as swiftly to stand next to Eppes, who was giving just as good as he got, and John got the impression the other guy was torn between amusement at the academic hissy-fit and a desire to punch Rodney.

He levered Rodney away, and then had to pacify him when there wasn't immediate food but instead photos, and hand-shaking and congratulations all round. All this _and _keep him away from Eppes and from Cadman, which called for superior tactical skills. All that aside, maybe this whole thing wasn't quite that bad after all because he'd never seen Lorne look that happy. Not that that was saying much seeing that most of the time he spent with Lorne they were facing either certain death or paperwork, but he didn't know his XO could smile like that. And Granger was grinning pretty widely too. Maybe this had been worth it.

* * *

"Ian," Colby said, sounding pleased. "I thought you hadn't made it when I didn't see you beforehand."

Evan turned to see a dark-haired guy in shades exchanging a brief hug with Colby, who was obviously delighted to see him.

"Wouldn't miss it, Granger. Because when I'm actually _invited_to a wedding," Ian continued with a raised voice and a meaningful look in Charlie Eppes's direction, "I turn up. Caught a flight back from the Cayman Islands specially."

"Cayman Islands? You work for the same Bureau I do?"

"Seniority, Granger. It's a bitch."

Then Colby introduced Evan, and Ian shook his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet the guy who's managed to put up with Granger all these years."

He was pretty charming, but that wasn't enough to override Evan's automatic dislike of the man who'd put a gun to Colby's head, tied him up, and held him hostage.

"Edgerton," he said. "I've heard a lot about you." He smiled when he said it but he knew it didn't reach his eyes and that was just fine with him. Though he had the feeling the warning in his gaze might have been just a little more effective if he hadn't had bits of multi-coloured confetti in his hair.

Edgerton looked as if he might be a bit surprised by his reception – it was hard to tell behind those shades – but Colby definitely looked hurt. Way to go, Lorne, putting that look on his face less than a half hour after they were married.

"Just don't go handcuffing Colby again and we're cool," he said, making a supreme effort for Colby's sake.

"He's a married man now. I do have some morals, you know."

"Yeah?" Don came up behind Ian. "Not what I hear."

"You're management now, Eppes – what the hell would you know about morals?"

Before Don could respond, Edgerton turned back to Evan. "Granger chose well," he said quietly, then nodded to them both and walked off with Don.

Evan turned to stare after him, pissed that Edgerton thought he had the right to make that sort of comment.

"An apology from Ian Edgerton," Colby said, sliding his arms round Evan and resting his chin on his shoulder. "Has the world ended?"

"That was an apology?"

"Best you'll ever get from him," Colby said, and kissed his ear. "Come on, I hear they serve food at these things. I'm starving."

* * *

To Nicola's satisfaction, her brother and his almost equally stubborn but much easier to bully fiancé had allowed her to make some decorative touches to the room they were using for the meal, so that it looked like a wedding. Not that she was the kind of person who wanted taffeta and ribbons everywhere, but something more than functional and businesslike was necessary to mark the day. So there were a lot of flowers, and just a few ribbons, and the place cards all had individual wedding-themed motifs that their mom had drawn. The boys had been thrilled when she'd asked them to help pick the napkin rings, spending many happy evenings poring over catalogues and searching online until they found just the right thing for Uncle Evan, meaning that every guest had been treated to a napkin ring featuring either a Spitfire or a propeller.

"Cool," she heard Colonel Sheppard say when he noticed. At that, the boys' excitement knew no bounds and it was only Nicola's best mom-glare that stopped them mobbing Colonel Sheppard then and there to boast about their choice.

* * *

Evan looked round the dining room as people found their places at each table, and prayed that Nic had been able to sneak in beforehand, as he had ended up practically begging her to, and swap out Charlie and Amita with David and Laura so that McKay and Charlie weren't on the same table any more. He and Colby thought they'd covered all contingencies with the seating plan – God knows they'd spent longer on it than on any other aspect of the entire day – but no one had expected a math fight.

He still wasn't quite sure how Rodney McKay had gotten to be on the cool kids' table, probably for the first time in his life, except that he was Colonel Sheppard's guest so they'd kept the two of them together. So McKay was with Don and Ian and John, and anybody else who wasn't Cadman, and wasn't Mrs Clark – because could you say disaster if McKay and Mrs Clark met? – and wasn't Mr Woolsey. Although Mr Woolsey had been invited mainly because it seemed the polite thing for Evan to do, and perhaps a little because Evan had found to his surprise he'd ended up liking and respecting the man, he wouldn't deserve the acerbity that Rodney would subject him to.

Evan had actually been reluctant to inflict Richard Woolsey's idea of social small talk on anyone, until Colby had suggested Mrs Clark. That seemed to be the best option all round because Woolsey was unfailingly polite, which would please her_,_and Mrs Clark was going slightly deaf, which might save her from the worst of Woolsey. Also, as Colby pointed out, she wouldn't be so hidebound by manners that she'd let him talk uninterrupted for the entire time. Then they were stuck with who the hell else to put on the same table.

"Larry?" Colby had said. "He could keep the conversation going on a whole range of topics."

"If he could get a word in. But shouldn't we put him with McKay, both being astrophysicists?"

"Damn. Good point." Colby thought for a while. "What about Alan? He can be a bit enthusiastic when he gets going, so maybe he and Woolsey can cancel one another out?"

"Good call. So long as we don't get accused of age profiling, sticking them all on the same table."

"We'll put Roger Bloom somewhere else so it doesn't look that way," Colby said, then seemed to realise problems with that. "Oh damn, Bloom shouldn't really go anywhere near Don. Things might seem okay on the surface now but once alcohol gets into the mix… And David might not be the best idea either, with the whole anti-corruption gig. And as for Bloom and Nikki…" He sighed.

"Larry?" Evan asked.

"Larry's beginning to be the answer to all our problems. Can we clone him?"

Somehow, despite Colby getting hopelessly distracted by the way Evan sucked on his pen while he was thinking, or at least that had been the excuse he'd given for jumping Evan and sidetracking them both for some considerable time, they'd finally achieved what they thought was an optimum solution. Until the math fight had messed it up.

Evan breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Nic had evidently managed to rescue the situation, and then he went to sit down at his own table. Next to his husband. And he hoped that never got old.

* * *

Richard Woolsey had been surprised to be invited to Major Lorne's wedding. He'd been even more surprised when he'd realised the Major's intended spouse was male; the name on the invitation hadn't made that clear. It wasn't that he was prejudiced, he'd merely bought into the whole atmosphere of the US military for a while. He'd assumed. And that was an extremely bad habit which he thought he'd managed to leave behind him since it had first been brought to his attention at Harvard.

Richard liked Major Lorne: he was completely dependable, trustworthy, and quick to pick up on Woolsey's directives, verbal and non-verbal. He couldn't say he was close friends with the Major, but he knew him well enough to appreciate that, while inviting him might have been due to manners, it certainly hadn't been a cold-blooded career move, which left him thinking there must be something genuine behind it. That in turn made him feel that perhaps he was, finally, making some headway in following in the footsteps of the giants who had preceded him on Atlantis. The chasm between the loyalty and, apparently, love, the entire base had felt for both his female predecessors and the respect that he had finally won from them, did not escape his notice. But he did the best he could, and it was quite heart-warming to feel that was recognised by some people, at least.

He spent some time after the ceremony with the Major's parents, extolling their son's virtues, even if he also found himself talking a little about some of the problems he faced as a solitary commander in the field, balancing immediate operational needs with the political views of the hierarchy removed from the situation. They were such good listeners, it was difficult not to.

Then he'd introduced himself to some people on the other groom's side, and learned that Colby Granger was ex-Army, which was how he and Major Lorne had met although nobody seemed quite clear on the circumstances of their first meeting, that his sister bred Brown Leghorns, that he had some quite assertive female friends, and that he collected dolls. Except, looking at the FBI Agent in question, he was reasonably certain his leg had been pulled on that one. The fellow looked as if he wouldn't be out of place in one of the Marine units on Atlantis. But he and Major Lorne seemed very fond of one another. And the rather charming lady next to whom he'd been seated at the wedding breakfast was extremely enthusiastic about them as a couple. Apparently she was a friend of Colby's and thought that Evan was a good-hearted and good-looking young man who would look after her Colby properly. From all he knew of the Major, he agreed with her.

The after-dinner speeches didn't follow the usual tradition, but Richard had been prepared for that ahead of time by the Major. As Colby's parents were both deceased and the whole father of the bride speech was a little questionable anyway in the circumstances, they'd decided to do their own thing. Evan's father started things off with a short speech that was directed as much toward Colby as it was toward Evan, giving the strong impression he was already considered a member of the family. Both of the grooms said a few words, mainly to do with thanking everyone for coming and thanking those who'd helped, including presenting Evan's sister with a huge bouquet of flowers, much to her surprise. Then an old friend of Colby's, David, left everyone in the room, particularly Evan, helpless with laughter, and Colby pink-cheeked. Don Eppes said a few words too, and Captain Cadman took to the floor to make some sly but fond digs at Evan, and then it was Richard's turn.

He talked about constancy, loyalty, and courage, and about how Major Evan Lorne embodied these qualities, even when a leader's job out in the field was a difficult one at times, as he knew from his own experience. How it could be challenging and isolating in ways that were unexpected. He expanded upon that theme a little before going on to confess that he hadn't had the pleasure of meeting Colby until today and so couldn't say much, but one thing he knew from the years he'd worked with Evan Lorne was that his judgment could always be trusted.

It seemed as if he'd said something there that hit home, judging by the expression on some people's faces, so he paused for a moment before moving on to quote the Christina Rossetti poem that he'd thought perfect for the occasion.

When he finished, there was a round of applause, and then John Sheppard stood up.

"Evan, Colby," he said. "Be excellent to each other."

And people laughed for reasons that Richard didn't quite understand, but it seemed to please John who sat back down again, and also to please the happy couple who shared a quick kiss before the Major's sister – and Richard would happily beg her on his knees to come to Atlantis and organise everyone – was quietly but quite violently poking them in order to get them to their feet and go cut the cake.

* * *

"Someone should remind Granger there's kids present," Ian said, watching Evan feed him a forkful of wedding cake. "That's positively indecent."

"He always looks like that when he's eating," Don said. "Seriously. It beats me how he hasn't been hauled up for public lewdness before now."

"There's always a first time," Ian suggested.

"I'm not sure Evan would take that too well, being their wedding night."

"You could lend him the handcuffs for a citizen's arrest."

Don turned and looked at Ian. "You've got a bit of a thing for Colby in handcuffs, don't you?"

"Hell, yeah. Who wouldn't? He gets this whole submissive vibe going on – it's seriously hot."

"You," Don said, "need to get laid more."

"You offering?"

"Oh God, shut up and have another drink," Don said. He'd forgotten how impossible Ian was.


	4. Chapter 4

People were drifting slowly back out into the gardens in the evening sunshine, enabling the hotel staff to clear the room and make it ready for the evening reception. Neither Colby nor Evan had thought about having an evening do but Evan's parents had pointed out that, as some of the guests were travelling a considerable distance, it was only right that they were given a full day of hospitality. By the time it had dawned on a horrified Colby that holding an evening reception meant he and Evan would be expected to dance in front of everyone, the invitations had already gone out and it was too late. He strongly suspected Nicola's dastardly hand at work.

Colby stood with his arms around Evan, watching their friends and family mingling, while laughter filled the warm air. He wanted the moment to last for ever, and not only because then he wouldn't have to dance in public.

As he looked round the gardens he thought idly that one of them probably should go rescue Colonel Sheppard before too much longer because he was being besieged by two very excited little boys, hopped up on hero-worship and sugar. But not quite yet. He was in no hurry to let go of his husband.

"Oh no," Evan said.

"What?" Colby followed Evan's gaze to where Tom was stomping around Colonel Sheppard. He was waving his arms and bellowing, "I am the _brilliant_ Dr Mayhem and I am _surrounded_ by _imbeciles_, eh!"

"Oh, God." Evan was rigid in his hold.

The other nephew, James, was evidently delighting in having Colonel Sheppard's undivided attention as he struck a heroic pose. "And _I _am Colonel Sheppard and I am the Scourge of the Shadows and the best pilot in the whole universe!"

"Evan?"

"They – I – oh, _God_."

And then Colonel Sheppard – the real one, not the three foot high one – was sending the boys on their excited way, and looking at Evan and raising an eyebrow. Evan unwrapped Colby's arms from round him and walked across the manicured lawn, looking as if he was going to his execution. Colby, of course, went with him.

"Lorne, you want to tell me why your nephews have been asking about the time I flew an F-22 to Mars to single-handedly save the Earth from an alien invasion?"

"Uh –"

"Or the time Major _Logan _had to rescue me from the pretty princess who kidnapped me to marry me?"

"Oh, God." Evan's face was buried in his hands and the little Colby could see of it was beetroot-coloured. "I never thought they'd actually meet you," he muttered.

"And then there's Dr Mayhem, the brilliant but bad-tempered Canadian scientist, and his sidekick with the weird accent – which, by the way, they had a whole lot of fun with - Dr Zany. Any of this sounding at all familiar?"

"Um, no?" Evan said hopefully.

"That's good to hear," Colonel Sheppard said. "I'd hate to think Dr Mayhem was modelled on anyone who might be pissed you called him brilliant rather than a genius."

"Uh," Evan said.

"If there are going to be any further bedtime stories featuring Sharp-shooting Sheppard, Scourge of the Shadows, I insist Major Logan has a proper role. Seems to me he's been kinda overlooked when it comes to the pretty princesses."

"Hey," Colby said. "I object to that."

Colonel Sheppard shrugged. "I'm sure he'd never cheat on his CIA Agent husband, Cubbly Grubbly."

"And I object to that too_," _Colby said. "The CIA's a bunch of clowns in action."

"I _hate_ clowns."

"Can we just stop talking now, please?" Evan begged.

"Probably a good idea," Colonel Sheppard agreed.

As he wandered away across the lawn, Evan turned to Colby. "You want to just hide for the rest of the day?"

"Oh God yes."

* * *

"If you tell anyone I said this I'm gonna have to shoot you," Nikki said to Liz, as they wandered into the gardens just in time to see Granger and Evan melt out of sight in what they undoubtedly thought was a discreet way but which to the trained eye bore the distinct hallmarks of rabbiting, "but they're kinda cute together."

"You're only saying that to get on Evan's good side so he'll put in a word to his CO for you."

"You're such a cynic."

"I've just worked with you for too long," Liz said. "Where _is _the hot CO anyway?"

"No idea," Nikki said, in far too casual a tone which didn't in the least give the impression she'd just been quartering the hotel looking for him.

"I see Edgerton and Don are sticking close together."

"Men. The mere mention of a wedding and they panic."

"Your friend Roger Bloom's here too. You spoken to him yet?"

"Hey, me and Bloom get on great," Nikki protested. "We just got off on the wrong foot."

"Is that why he's hiding from you behind the big guy with the hair?"

"Hilarious."

"I thought so," Liz agreed.

"So who _are _the big guy and his wife, apart from Evan's friends?"

"No idea. Let's go find out."

* * *

They managed to find a private corner of the gardens, and then Evan stepped close against Colby and kissed him, the first chance he'd had to kiss him properly since Nicola had whisked him away early that morning. The first chance he'd had to kiss him properly as his husband. And Colby was more than happy to be kissed, if the way he was pressed back against Evan was any sign, making breathless little noises into Evan's mouth.

Until three small demons ran yelling into their idyll, pursued by a mortified-looking Nicola. She was slightly pink-faced, and probably not just from chasing Tom and James and Torren. "Back to the hotel," she said sternly. "_Now._"

"Sorry," Colby said, looking flustered and as if he was fighting the reflexive urge to salute.

"She's talking to _them," _Evan whispered.

"Oh."

"God, I love you," Evan said, and kissed him.


	5. Chapter 5

Once it had brought home rather forciby to Colby and Evan that their private corner wasn't really all that private, they snuck round the side of the hotel and back in through the front entrance, all that expensive training in stealth and evasion techniques coming in mighty useful. After booking it up the stairs at high speed, they finally made it safely and undetected into the bedroom which Nic had put aside for use of any of the wedding party who might want to freshen up, or change, or even rest during the day.

Colby turned round to see Evan breathless and laughing, and looking so damn gorgeous that he had to kiss him, here and now. So he did, pushing him back against the door. As Evan's mouth opened under his, he moved closer, needing to be as close to Evan as he could be, and then he was wrenching at his uniform jacket to get to skin beneath.

"Careful," Evan said, relinquishing Colby's mouth just long enough to speak. "We gotta look decent when we go back down."

But Colby was a man on a mission, and Evan's words went unheeded as he navigated the jacket and the tie and shirt with ease, and finally his hands were on Evan's skin, his fingers exploring over every bit he could reach as his mouth started following their path. His lips closed around Evan's right nipple and he flicked it with his tongue as he pressed his hand against Evan's cock through his pants, feeling just how hard he was getting as he pushed into Colby's hand. And as Colby bit his nipple, Evan's head fell back against the door and he was swearing at Colby, calling him names that were filth and need and love combined, and that sent Colby to his knees.

.

"I thought you locked the door," Rodney hissed at John.

"I thought _you _locked the door."

"Me? Just when did I have a hand free with which I could possibly have locked the door?"

"Rodney," John warned softly. "They'll hear."

Rodney made what looked like a heroic effort to be silent. It lasted perhaps ten seconds, but at least his volume was reduced when the next eruption came. "I cannot _believe _you got us trapped in here."

"How was I supposed to know Romeo and Juliet were going to turn up for a quickie?" John pointed out, perfectly reasonably. After all, it wasn't as if John and Rodney had had any such idea; John was merely keeping Rodney occupied and away from Eppes and Cadman, and it wasn't his fault if Rodney had decided that a suitable occupation would be expressing his deep and abiding appreciation for John's dress blues.

It had only been the speed of John's reactions and the handily L-shaped room that had given them enough time when the hotel room door opened to duck into the bathroom, snatching up clothes on the way, and pushing the door tight shut behind them. Except even with the door tight shut it was possible to hear some things that John really did not want to be hearing, which included his XO laughing breathlessly, somebody being pushed against a surface, and then the very distinctive sound of a uniform jacket hitting the floor. A sound which was particularly fresh in John's memory right now.

"So having trapped us in here, what do you suggest we do now?"

"Same thing we always do," John said.

"Wait for disaster to strike?"

"I was thinking more of the whole coming up with a plan thing."

"Oh please. You think you can just saunter out and hope they don't notice you?"

John shrugged. "It sounded okay till you said it out loud."

"It's a terrible plan."

"I suppose you've got a better one?"

"If you hadn't pushed us in here in the first place there are a million ways we could have avoided this entire miserable situation."

"Such as?"

"If you'd just _stop_– "

John slapped his hand over Rodney's mouth as Rodney's tenuous volume-control failed, and they both froze while straining their ears to find out if they'd been heard. And John really wished they hadn't done that because there were some things he didn't need to know, and that Lorne's new husband loved to suck his cock was one of those things.

He removed his hand when Rodney started making determined if muffled noises behind it. "I know!" he said, then winced and adjusted his volume before John had to replace his hand. "I was having a hypoglycaemic episode and passed out in here and you were looking after me," he said more quietly.

"With the door shut and both of us half-dressed?"

Rodney sighed in a way that made suddenly John want to wave his arms around and yell '_surrounded_ by _imbeciles'_. "We'll _get_dressed," he said.

"Huh," John said. It actually wasn't that bad of a plan. Considering there were no other options.

_"Oh, God, Colby."_

And it wasn't as if Lorne was going to question their story given how embarrassed _he _would be to be overheard right now.

John was sure that they'd have been heard if the couple in the bedroom hadn't been quite so enthusiastically engaged, but somehow, despite Rodney holding his pants so all the coins fell out of the pockets onto the bathroom floor, they both ended up fully clothed and still undiscovered and then staring at one another while trying to pretend they weren't really hearing what they were possibly sort of hearing through the door.

"They're kinda loud," John said in the end.

"Really? We're caught in a disastrously, excruciatingly embarrassing situation and _that's _your contribution?"

"Well they are. Hey, I hope _they_remembered to lock the door."

"Oh God." And John wanted to kiss that look right off Rodney's face, the look that always came over it at the threat of impending utter disaster, so he did. And after an instant's indignant fluttering, when presumably Rodney was more concerned about them being discovered than drowning out what was going on next door, he quieted under John's mouth in a way that made John wonder why he didn't use this as a McKay-quieting tactic more often. When he ended up, minutes later, pressed back against the tiled wall as Rodney kissed him with an intensity and focus he normally reserved for his research, he remembered why.

Some time later, John realised all had gone quiet in the bedroom, and he pulled back from Rodney.

"Think they're finally done?" he whispered.

"Let me check my magical crystal ball to find out."

The floorboards were creaking next door, indicating some sort of movement.

"Hey, watch the suit," Granger's voice came through loud enough and close enough to the bathroom door to make Rodney jump. "It cost almost as much as my car."

"Considering what you drive, that's not saying much." A short silence. "There you go, that's better. No one would ever know."

"Guess we better get back downstairs before anyone misses us."

"Guess so."

One of them sighed, then Granger spoke. "You sure we can't just stay up here the rest of the night? I can think of plenty of things we could do with your uniform."

John looked round hopefully, but fruitlessly, for ear plugs or brain bleach.

"You willing to explain to Nicola?"

There was the sound of the room door being opened. "After you," Granger said. John heard what sounded like a quick kiss before the door closed. Behind them, presumably.

"Oh, thank _God. _Remind me to do that again _never_," Rodney said.

John had cracked open the bathroom door and was carefully reconnoitring, before pulling the door open. "Damn straight," he said, walking out into the mercifully empty room.

"But you know, we never did quite…"

"_Rodney_–"

.

"Oh crap. Tell me you locked the door this time."

"Me? _You _were supposed to lock it."


	6. Chapter 6

When Colby and Evan got back downstairs, they found the room where they'd had the meal was in the process of being transformed. Shutters had been raised to open the bar that was along one side of the room, a guy with blue hair was setting up some speakers, and, most ominously of all, carpet had been removed from the centre of the floor, leaving a large area of floorboards exposed.

Colby groaned and leaned his forehead against Evan's shoulder. Evan patted him consolingly. "It'll be fine," he said. "No one will even be watching with first drinks at the bar being free."

"We did ban cameras, didn't we?"

"Colby, it's a _wedding_. Not only did we not ban cameras, you may remember we actually paid someone to take pictures."

"Oh God."

"Hi guys."

Colby lifted his head from Evan's shoulder and felt the total despair fall away when he saw Megan approaching. She looked gorgeous. Her plum-coloured dress was pretty on her, but it was more the happiness in her face, something that had been so lacking in her last few months at the FBI, that struck Colby.

"Hey," he said, and to her obvious surprise he drew her close and kissed her cheek. "Thanks for coming, Megan."

"Wouldn't have missed it for the world," she said. Then she looked past them through the doorway to see what they were inspecting.

"Ah, the den of iniquity for this evening. Make sure you save a dance for me, Colby. You too, Evan."

Colby looked at her, horrified. "We're not – we only have to do the first one."

"You do know the etiquette at these things?" Megan asked.

"No?" he said. He didn't squeak. Most definitely didn't squeak.

"It's considered polite to dance with your guests, and you'll absolutely have to dance with Evan's dad."

"What?" He looked to Evan for help and tried not to panic.

"Thanks, Megan," Evan said. "Really appreciate your calming influence here."

"Anytime," she said, and continued on her way to the elevator.

"She was joking, wasn't she?" Colby checked.

"About Dad? Definitely. Her? I wouldn't bet on it."

And Colby groaned and let his head thump back down on Evan's shoulder.

* * *

Graciously released from his conversation with Teyla – and it was a relief because she was a fascinating woman but her dress made it very difficult to keep his eyes on her face – Don went in search of Ian. He was leaning against the stone wall that marked the left-hand boundary of the garden, watching the shadows lengthen.

He didn't turn his head at Don's approach, but evidently knew he was there. "You done your duty and talked to everyone yet?"

"I still don't know why it's my duty," Don complained.

"You're the groom's boss. It goes with the turf. Look at the way Lorne's boss is working the place."

"He's probably just apologising for his speech."

"It did go on a bit, didn't it?"

"How come Evan's got two bosses anyway?" Don asked.

"You think I know this because?"

"Hey guys." They turned to see Evan's brother-in-law approaching. "Nic asked me to let you know the bar's open."

They didn't need telling twice.

* * *

Half an hour later all the guests were either stood at the bar or sat round the tables that had been put out on the carpeted area round the edges of the room, and Evan had a tight grip on Colby's arm. He had the strong suspicion that otherwise his first steps around the dance floor as a married man would be taken on his own.

* * *

"Damn," Laura said. "Who'd have thought Major Lorne was such a romantic?"

As Liz watched, she could see that Evan was holding Colby very close as they did the whole first dance thing, if holding one another and vaguely swaying on the spot could be called dancing. Then again, she preferred that to the alternative. She wouldn't have put it past Granger to have broken into a line dance if left to him.

"Is Evan really as annoying as Colby, or is that just a vicious rumour?"

"Worse," Laura said. "He's definitely worse. He's always so damn _cheerful_."

* * *

The whole thing turned out not to be quite the ordeal Colby had been dreading. The tequila shots he'd downed beforehand had probably helped but he thought that it was mainly the familiarity of Evan against him and Evan's arms round him that was getting him through it. When he looked at Evan, thoughts about everyone watching them faded.

Next thing he knew there were some other people on the dance floor around them, Evan's mom and dad, and Nic and Alex, and Charlie and Amita, and Ronon with Torren, who was giggling helplessly as Ronon spun him, and they could retreat, duty done.

That was until Mrs Clark summoned them over to her table. They'd left the choice of music up to the guy they'd hired, who'd promised to choose well-known songs from a number of decades; the only stipulation they'd made was that the volume wouldn't be so loud that people couldn't talk. So Colby could hear Mrs Clark quite clearly when she told him that he was going to dance with her next.

In the end, that wasn't so bad either because it was really just shuffling around a bit and listening to her tell him how lovely Evan was, and he could probably do that all day.

Then Megan cut in, and then Nic, and then Evan's mom, and then - terrifyingly -Richard Woolsey, before Evan reclaimed him and they retreated to the bar for a much-needed cold beer.

"Don't worry," Evan said cheerfully. "He danced with me too. Megan says it would be etiquette if either of us were a bride."

"So only Don and Colonel Sheppard to go now, then?" Colby said. "Super."

Evan looked at him sideways. "Just how much tequila did you have?"

* * *

Nicola stood at the back of the room and surveyed the gathering with a feeling of satisfaction. Everybody appeared to be mixing happily, despite the rather eclectic mix of people Evan and Colby had seen fit to invite. Teyla and Megan were talking intently, Colby and his friend David were sharing a conversation that had them both grinning while they did so, Ronon and Don and Ian seemed quite happy together, and her boys were bubbling over with enthusiastic questions for Mrs Clark, having learned she had once flown a Spitfire. They appeared to have formed an unholy trinity with Teyla's son; while she had no idea if he was as aircraft-mad as her two – and thanks for that, Uncle Evan – he was more than happy to fling himself headfirst into whatever they were getting up to.

Evan appeared by her side.

"Thanks, Nic," he said. "For everything."

"I'm just glad I could," she said. Until the repeal she hadn't let herself even dream this might be possible for her brother, if he wanted it. And he obviously did.

They stood for a moment, watching everyone.

"Thanks for the suit shopping as well."

She groaned. "Just so you know, I am _never _doing that again."

"Yeah, I can imagine. Looks good, though."

"And that's not a biased point of view at all."

"Hell, no. Just look at him."

Trying not to roll her eyes, she left him watching his really rather nicely dressed husband and went to find her own, who she'd left talking math stuff with Charlie and Amita. She figured he'd need rescuing by now.

* * *

"Hey Idaho, you ready to throw your garter yet?" Nikki called as Colby and Evan walked past their table.

"In your dreams, Betancourt," he shot back.

"Hardly," she said. Then she turned to Liz. "I want to know how come there's such a dearth of cute Air Force officers here."

"Cute Air Force officers? I always thought that was an oxymoron," Laura said.

"Evan's CO's kinda cute though. You know if he's seeing anyone?"

"He's also _my_CO so the whole cute/not-cute thing – really not something I want to get into."

"If you're a Marine, how's he your CO?" Liz wanted to know.

"It's complicated," Laura said. "And yes, he's very taken."

"Damn it," Nikki said. "Always the way."

They all sighed.

"Time for another round?" Liz asked.

"You have to ask?"

* * *

"So far, so good," Evan said to Colby. "I don't know how Colonel Sheppard's done it, but he's managed to keep McKay away from Charlie."

"Reckon I owe Amita a bunch of flowers or something for keeping Charlie away from McKay," Colby said.

"Well I'm not giving Colonel Sheppard a bunch of flowers."

"Boys." Colby looked up to see Mrs Clark beckoning them over. "I want to talk to you," she said, so they sat down at the table with her.

"I've got something I want to give you both," she said, pulling out of her capacious handbag a parcel wrapped loosely in tissue paper, which she handed to Colby. He unwrapped the paper to uncover a somewhat battered leather case. With a look at Evan he held it between them so they could both see, and opened the lid. He wasn't sure about Evan but he definitely drew his breath in when he saw that it held a row of military medals.

"They're my husband's," she said. "Now I know what you're going to say, but it's right for you to have them. Mr Clark would want that too, you know. You two boys are serving our country just the way he did. And don't worry, Colby dear, some of them were won when he was in the USAAF, so it's quite safe for you to have them."

Colby laughed, before fumbling for suitable words and ending up lost somewhere in the middle of a mess of half-sentences. Evan seemed to be having a similar problem finding words, very unusually for him. Giving up on the whole sentence thing, Colby followed Evan's example and kissed Mrs Clark's cheek.

Mrs Clark wasn't one for mawkishness. "Go get me a drink, Colby," she said. "Whisky and soda, if you please, and light on the soda."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, passing the case to Evan for safekeeping before he went.

* * *

Evan didn't mean to get distracted, but sitting down like this he was at precisely the right height to appreciate the view which Colby, who had lost his jacket sometime earlier, presented as he walked away from them. Recalling himself, he looked back to Mrs Clark, and found that she was appreciating the same view.

She looked back at him. "I'm old, not dead," she said tartly at the expression on his face.

"Now," she poked him in the chest, "I want you to take good care of that boy."

"I will," he promised.

He looked down at the case he held and touched the medals lightly, reverently. Looking up, he found Mrs Clark watching him. He closed the case carefully.

"You should really mingle with the other guests, you know," she said. "It's rude not to."

Evan stood up and bent to kiss her cheek again, to be waved away with a harrumphing sound. "Go on," she said.

He found his mom and dad talking to Colby's sister, Sue, and husband, whose name escaped him, and interrupted long enough to explain and borrow their room key so he could use the safe in their room for the medals.

"You know the combination," his mom said.

He did. It was the same combination they'd been using for as long as he could remember, an amalgamation of his and Nic's birthdays. He wondered on the way up to the room if he and Colby were going to fall into the same sort of set of unquestioned patterns, then he realised they probably already had.

Evan stashed the medals carefully in the safe, wrapped back up in tissue paper to protect the case, and headed back downstairs. Rounding the corner of the first flight, he came to a crashing halt, because on the landing at the bottom of the next flight were Colonel Sheppard and McKay but, far from using the stairs, they were standing there, caught in a kiss.

He froze for an agonisingly long moment, waiting for them to react to his sudden appearance, before realising they weren't noticing anything but one another right now. He retreated out of sight as silently and swiftly as he could, then booked it to the elevator, not relaxing till he got down into the lobby. He could hear music and talk and laughter echoing down the corridor from their function room, but he slipped past and went out into the dark gardens, where he sat on one of the tables that were scattered along the terrace, lit only by the light spilling from the hotel windows behind him. Then, and only then, he let himself think about what he'd just seen.

It wasn't the fact they were kissing – okay, okay, it was definitely the fact that Colonel Sheppard and Dr McKay were kissing – but more the _way_ they'd kissed that had struck him. There'd been an openness on Colonel Sheppard's face he'd never seen before, never thought Colonel Sheppard was capable of showing, and a tenderness in the hand he had raised to McKay's jaw as they kissed. And McKay – he'd looked quietly, deeply, content. It had been an intensely private moment he'd managed to stumble onto, and he was just thankful they hadn't known he was there.

The hotel door banged and he looked up to find Colby walking over to him.

"I thought I saw you," Colby said. Then he took a closer look. "You okay?"

"Yeah," Evan said.

Colby sat on the table next to him, shoulders touching, enough to let him know he was there but not pushing. He tended to forget just how good Colby was at this sort of stuff, how sometimes he knew what Evan needed even before Evan himself realised.  
He looked round before he spoke, to make sure they were alone; the effect of all those years of DADT did not disappear overnight.

"I just saw Colonel Sheppard and Dr McKay," he said. "Kissing."

He was aware of Colby waiting encouragingly next to him. He shrugged. "Guess it kinda took me by surprise."

"You didn't know?"

"Hell, no."

"So you thought Colonel Sheppard invited him to our wedding because…?"

Evan glared at Colby who was failing to hide the amusement in his voice. "Because they're friends, and Colonel Sheppard couldn't bring anyone military because of the whole rank thing, so shoot me."

"Sorry," Colby said. "I guess I just assumed, when I saw them together."

Evan sighed. "Yeah," he said. Because now he knew, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before. Except it was _McKay._ Who the hell would think of McKay like that? Except obviously Colonel Sheppard did. And more than just being together, they were in love. Evan figured these days he was pretty well-qualified to recognise it when he saw it, and he'd definitely seen it between them.

"I'm glad they've both got someone," he said at last. "God knows, where we are, doing what we do, that helps. Just took me by surprise is all."

Colby's shoulder pressed slightly against Evan, inviting, if Evan was ready, and with a sigh he leaned into Colby, resting his head into Colby's neck as Colby's arm came round him.

"Just as well the Scourge of the Shadows is being retired," Evan said. "I'm not sure how to explain to the boys that their hero's in love with the comic relief."

Colby dropped a kiss on his hair. "Come on, sweetheart," he said. "You need a drink."

"Sure do," Evan said, raising his head and sliding down off the table. "Did you just call me sweetheart?"

"Huh. I think I did. Extenuating circumstances," Colby said, pushing himself off the table.

"Or the tequila."

"If I can _say_ extenuating circumstances, it sure as hell isn't the tequila."


	7. Chapter 7

It had been way too long since Don had last had the chance to kick back like this and really relax. His dad had been deep in conversation for the past hour with Bloom and Evan's boss, and Charlie and Amita were being a revoltingly lovey-dovey married couple, so he could let it all go - stretch out in his chair, loosen his tie, and not try to out-drink Edgerton, because that way lay disaster.

He'd already checked his dad was cool to drive himself home – Larry would be staying at the hotel with Megan - so Don could take up Ian's invitation of crashing in his hotel room. Not that they'd get much sleep, he suspected. More than likely they'd talk till dawn. There wasn't really anyone else who got stuff the way Ian did; nobody else around whom Don could relax in quite the same way.

"You ever think about settling down somewhere?" he asked, the bourbon he'd been drinking loosening his tongue a little too much.

"We're all getting older," Ian said, which was both an answer and not.

* * *

Evan and Colby were finally doing the mingling thing, though Colby would have been happier if they were doing it together given the way that Ronon had just promised to rain unspeakable things down on his head if he ever hurt Lorne. The knowledge that his sister might well be making the same threat to Evan didn't bring much comfort given the whole body mass disparity between Ronon and Sue.

"Ronon is merely concerned for our friend Evan," Teyla said to him afterwards. "I am sure that his happiness is also your first concern." And crap, she was scarier than Ronon.

"Uh, yeah, of course," he stuttered, and made himself sound like a creepy serial killer with perverted plans for Evan.

Then Teyla smiled. "I am sure you will be very happy together," she said, and from her it sounded like a benediction, not a cliché.

"Thank you," he said, and he meant it, even if he retreated from their table a whole lot faster than from any of the others. And _that_ was the sort of tactical decision which could have gotten him killed out on the streets because the next table had Nikki, Liz, and Laura Cadman at it. He didn't appreciate the danger until it was too late.

"Laura, hey, it's good to meet you. Thanks again for bringing Mrs Clark."

"Colby, nice to meet you at last. I have heard _so _much about you."

He smiled and sketched a wave at Liz and Nikki. "Thanks for coming, guys," he said.

"So, Colby," Laura said, and he turned obediently to look at her. "I understand you collect army dolls."

* * *

The volume from the table in the corner had been getting gradually higher as Liz, Nikki and Laura had systematically worked their way through the hotel's cocktail menu and appeared to find common ground on a whole number of things, a concept Don found vaguely terrifying.

And then Colby had wandered up to their table like the proverbial lamb delivering himself meekly for slaughter, and the cackling that suddenly broke out had Don wanting to dive for cover.

"Substitute C4 and a Beretta for eye of toad and toe of frog, and you've got it," Ian murmured next to him, capturing his thoughts scarily well.

"Someone should rescue him," Don said.

"You're kidding, right?" David checked.

"You volunteering?" John asked Don.

"Hell, no. You?"

John shrugged. "Suicide missions aren't really my kinda thing."

Don took a swig from his glass and tried not to feel guilty about abandoning Colby to his fate. And then he grinned as he watched developments across the room. "Oh look, it _must_be love – Evan's stepping up to save his man."

Ian snorted, John smirked, and David covered his eyes. Don raised his glass to salute the sheer foolhardy courage of Evan Lorne before tossing back the last of its contents.

"Anyone else for another?" he asked.

* * *

Colby and Evan looked at one another and reached an unspoken agreement. It was time to leave. It was probably more than time to leave, given the way things had been going steadily downhill for the past half hour.

It had all started, Colby thought, with Laura's impromptu tap dance to _Toxic. _That in itself would have been fine; it was the way that she was teaching Alan and Bloom the steps as she went and their subsequent attempts to put them into practice that made it a scarring experience. Then all of Colonel Sheppard's and Amita's best efforts hadn't been enough to prevent Charlie and Dr McKay coming face to face, which, after some highly-charged snarkiness from them both, had ended up in some sort of ultimate math death-match in the hotel's business centre, which they appeared to have broken into in order to utilise the whiteboards. Currently six whiteboards and counting had been sacrificed to long lines of equations as they each tried to disprove the other's theory, and Amita and Larry attempted to referee.

Then there had been Colonel Sheppard and Mrs Clark dancing together - and judging from how she was holding onto him, she seemed to have forgiven him for the hair - and the way Liz and Ronon seemed to be hitting it off rather well, both on and off the dance floor. Mr Woolsey and Sue were in the midst of some discussion involving hens' reproductive systems, and Nikki and Megan appeared to be bonding over tales of Colby's greatest hits, which Colby have been happier about if it hadn't involved so much laughter from the two of them.

But what made him realise it really was getting urgent they left was the sight of Don Eppes tearing up the dance floor to _Depeche Mode. _Try as he would – and he really, really would – Colby didn't think he'd ever be able to banish the image from his brain.

The doorman's brief appearance, letting them know their car was waiting for them at the front of the hotel, was extremely welcome. But instead of allowing them to leave quietly, having already made one final round together to say goodbye, it seemed everyone wanted to accompany them and see them off on their honeymoon, including even the math geeks, although in their case they might just have been forcibly dragged from their algorithms.

And it was, unexpectedly, kind of nice walking out into their new life surrounded by friends and family, even if three little boys were making engine noises and Don was absently humming _Enjoy the silence_ to himself as they did so.

Colby had turned back to answer David's answer about where they were going on their honeymoon, meaning Evan was first through the hotel entrance. And when he followed without looking, he found himself cannoning into Evan's rigid back. Evan was standing stock-still in the doorway.

"What?" Colby asked. He'd asked them not to do the tin can and shaving cream thing on the car, but he probably should have known better. Then Evan turned in the doorway, and Colonel Sheppard lounged forward.

"It's yours for the week," he said. "Just try to bring this one back in one piece."

And then Colby could see what was parked in front of the hotel entrance. A black Ferrari Spider.

"John," Evan was saying, sounding choked-up.

Sheppard shrugged. "I know a guy."

Colby watched Evan make his way to the car, looking stunned and awestruck, just as a series of giggles announced the arrival of trouble behind Colby.

"Hey, cool, a Ferrari Scuderia Spider 16M!" He thought that was Nikki, but the three of them were as giggly and scary as one another right now. And so maybe he didn't know _all_about cars, but he was still the one Evan had married.

"Is he stroking it? Oh my God, I think he's stroking it!"

"Sorry, Granger," Edgerton said. "Looks like you just got replaced on the honeymoon."

"It figures," Colby sighed. "Flyboys are so fickle." And found himself the recipient of a death glare from Dr McKay.

"Colby, stop gabbing and get your ass over here."

"Nice to see that marriage hasn't killed the romance," Megan said.

"You sure?" Colby said as he joined Evan at the car, and yes, he really was caressing the bodywork. "Doesn't look like you need me coming between you two."

"That's just where you're wrong," Evan said, wrapping his hand in Colby's shirt – the tie had disappeared some hours before - and pulling him in close for a kiss, before whispering in his ear, "I can't wait to get you spread out on that hood and fuck you."

And Colby did not whimper and obediently climb into the car because that would have started their marriage off on totally the wrong note. He might, however, have told Evan to put his damn foot down already.

* * *

He wasn't sure exactly how it had happened but Colby found himself pushed up against the wall in the bedroom of the house they were renting for the honeymoon before he'd had time to do more than take in the fact their things, including his surfboard and Evan's art stuff, were here already, which meant Colonel Sheppard and Nicola must have colluded.

That was as far as his thought processes went, because Evan, who seemed to have managed somehow to undress him while kissing him thoroughly enough to distract him from that small detail, was sinking down on his knees in front of Colby, and he was using his hands and his tongue, teasing and promising and doing everything except the one thing Colby really needed right now. Finally he showed some mercy and slid his mouth down on Colby's cock. It felt so good that it was all Colby could do not to wrap his fingers in Evan's hair and hold him there, pushing into his mouth. But he knew Evan preferred it like this, knew that ultimately it would be even better for letting Evan set the pace, teasing bastard that he was. His cheeks were hollowed as he pulled almost all the way off, and then took Colby in again. As Colby watched his wet cock sliding between Evan's lips, with Evan still in those fucking dress blues, Colby didn't think he'd ever seen anything hotter in his life.

Then Evan was pulling a sachet from the pocket of his uniform and ripping the top off with his teeth, before squeezing the contents onto his fingers and Colby flat-out moaned with anticipation. He did a hell of a lot more moaning once Evan's fingers were up inside him while he worked his mouth on Colby's cock, and the fact he was doing all this still in full dress uniform made it somehow dirty, and maybe he said something of that out loud because Evan pulled off him and looked up with a smirk.

"Didn't realise you had a uniform kink."

"I don't," Colby said, and then gasped, because Evan's fingers were still inside him, working him open, and fuck, that was good.

"Coulda fooled me."

With an effort Colby wrenched his mind back to whatever the hell Evan was talking about. Oh yeah, uniforms. "I might have a kink for _you_in uniform." And as he looked at Evan, on his knees in front of Colby, his dress blues immaculate, his lips swollen and wet, and his eyes dark with want, he realised it was true, but not the whole truth. "Think maybe I just have a kink for you," he confessed.

"Like that's news," Evan said, and added another finger, making Colby jolt and swear and practically beg for Evan's cock.

And Evan was more than happy to oblige. He regained his feet and kissed Colby long and deep before he pulled him away from the wall and pushed him down onto the bed, where he landed with a bit of a bounce. Just occasionally, Colby liked it when Evan took charge like this. Evan seemed to like it too, getting all intense and putting Colby exactly where he wanted him.

"Don't move," he said, so Colby didn't, no matter the temptation as Evan stripped off his uniform. And while Colby wouldn't mind at all if Evan chose to put his blues back on later – in fact, he might just have to insist on it – right now he wanted them to be skin against skin, nothing between them.

Evan lowered himself on top of Colby, till their lips were on one another's and their bodies and their cocks were pressed together, and for a long, sweet moment, it was everything Colby had ever wanted. Evan raised his head and looked down at Colby, and Colby had the feeling that the slightly sappy grin on Evan's face was matched by the one he was wearing.

"How's it feel to be fucking a married man?" Evan asked.

"Wouldn't know," Colby said. "Seems like he's all talk and no action."

Oh, and it was _on. _Evan's tongue was in his mouth, and his fingers up inside Colby again, and Colby did what he always did when Evan was like this, he let his thighs fall open and let Evan take control. He groaned because he loved this, he really, really did, but he loved even more the knowledge that Evan's cock was going to be pushing into him any time soon. And sure enough, Evan was over him, pushing in, one long steady thrust that held Colby suspended somewhere between exquisite pleasure and pain, because Evan was big and he'd shown no mercy. And then Evan moved, just a little, and again, and after that they were slowly rocking together, and then Evan started moving with intent. And it wasn't very long at all before his hand closed round Colby's cock, and Colby came, shuddering and crying out Evan's name. Evan was just an instant behind him, and then they lay there for the longest time, just touching and breathing and being.

After a while, practicalities meant they extricated themselves, cleaned up and got under the cotton sheet. As they lay together, Colby's hands idly mapped the familiar contours of Evan's body, the long sweep of his back, the curve of his ass, and the strength of the thigh he'd thrown over Colby's leg. Evan's hands were moving over him too, and every so often he felt the unexpected hardness of the gold band that was now on Evan's finger.

They lay tangled beneath the sheet, trading kisses and touches. Tomorrow would bring what it would. They had tonight, and they had each other.

* * *

Evan woke to find sunlight filling the room. They'd been a little too preoccupied the previous night to even think about drawing the curtains, so the early morning light reflecting off the ocean outside sent shifting patterns of light and shade onto the far wall. He was used to waking to the ocean on Atlantis, but this was different. The light was different, the sound of the ocean was subtly different, and it was different waking to the body that was wrapped around him, holding him even in sleep.

He stretched very slightly, not enough to wake Colby who snuffled sleepily against his shoulder, and luxuriated in the knowledge that right here, right now, he had everything he could ever want.


End file.
